Student Poverty Increases

Since the Great Recession, student poverty has increased.

“Between 2006 and 2013, the number of students in high-poverty school districts — in which more than 20 percent of children live below the federal poverty line — increased from 15.9 million to 24 million” –  EdBuild

There is a negative spiraling effect. As more students require more support, there’s less money to spend on instruction. Because regions with increased poverty also frequently have decreased revenues, there’s less money to spend on anything. One of the consequences is that there are more students per class and less support for classroom books and materials. One of the ways out of poverty is education, but because education is diminished, poverty persists – and deepens. The primary mechanism for balancing the expenditures is local government, but redistributing tax revenues from richer areas to poorer ares is rarely an easy political fight.

(Click on the map for the link.)

“How Student Poverty Has Increased Since The Great Recession” – Washington Post